Ermynee
by AnnieF1229
Summary: Two small moments between Ron and Hermione.


So I love Ron/Hermione, but I've never actually written a story about them myself so I figured I'd give it a shot! This story is about one of my favorite Ron/Hermione moments in the Half Blood Prince.

They were all sitting in the Hospital Wing around Ron's bed. Fred and George were trying to make light of the situation, but Hermione knew they had been just as scared as she was upon learning that Ron had been poisoned. The weeks she had spent mad at him seemed childish now as she sat near his bed staring down at the face of her best friend. So what if he had a girlfriend? If Lavender was the person he wanted to be with then she should have been happy for him, but instead she had been filled with jealousy thinking that he had finally shown an inclination of wanting something beyond friendship with her during Herbology when she brought up asking him to Slughorn's Christmas party. The seemingly abrupt relationship that sprung up between him and Lavender solidified the fact that she had been mistaken and that Ron had merely agreed to go with her as friends so that he wouldn't miss out on the party.

All of these things that she had been pondering, combined with her silent treatment towards Ron, now made her angry. What if Ron had died? She shivered at the thought and reminded herself that he had not in fact died and that Madame Pomfrey had assured them all that he would make a full recovery. She studied his face, noting every freckle across his long nose and wished that he would open his eyes so that she could see their reassuring cheerfulness again.

As she tuned back into the conversation to correct something that Harry had said she felt Ron stir before she heard him. "Er-my-nee," he whispered. "Er-my-nee." It was the first time that Hermione had spoken and the first time Ron had responded to all of the hubbub around him as he lay in his coma-like state. She gripped his hand and stroked the back of it with her thumb, ignoring the looks from the Weasleys and Harry. "I'm here, Ron," she whispered as Ron slipped peacefully back to sleep.

Two Years Later

Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat around the kitchen table in Harry and Ron's flat having dinner together. "You know Ron, that pasta was edible. I think you've really found your calling," Harry joked. Ron's ears turned their usual red as Hermione patted him on the shoulder as she rose with their dishes. "It was good Ron. Harry's just still upset about his attempt at a pot roast last month."

Harry chose to ignore her comment and instead announced, "well I'm meeting Ginny, see you two later" as he wiped his hands on the front of his robes. After Harry left Ron and Hermione finished cleaning up the kitchen, after a few feeble attempts of Ron's to have Hermione let the dishes "drip dry", and then settled in the parlor where Hermione pulled out a book and Ron sat twirling her hair and looking at the fire.

"You know, Hermione," Ron began after a while. "I can't imagine not being here. Or what I'd be doing if I wasn't here right now…if I was somewhere else. Know what I mean?" Hermione smiled up at him as she said, "Oh I'm sure Lavender would still be available" in the teasing voice she used when referring to Ron's ex-girlfriend. She went back to her book and a full minute passed before she realized that Ron had stopped playing with her hair. She looked up Ron raising her eyebrows slightly to see what was wrong and was surprised to find him staring right back at her.

"It's not. It's more than that," he said with an almost defeated sigh. "It's just, you know I don't like to talk about the time I left, but the second I was someplace where I could clear my head all I could think of was getting back to you and Harry. I sat around Bill's wondering where you two were and cursing myself for not being in the same place. I thought about what we would be doing, or really, what I imagined the three of us would be doing if I didn't have to have that stupid Horcrux around my neck making me think…and getting angry. I envisioned it as if we were back in the Gryffindor common room and my heart literally ached from missing moments that never happened. When I heard your voice saying my name out of the Deluminator it reminded me of the only other time I remembered being so miserably empty. Sixth year. My birthday. I never told you, but I heard bits and pieces of the conversations around me and I tried to call out," Hermione let out a little gasp at this. "I know," he said laughing at her surprise. "I never told anyone because I realized later that all of my attempts were halfhearted. It was almost as if I didn't fully want to come back. But when I heard you speak for the first time something changed. I cried your name and forced myself to toss a little. I had to get back to you." He finished his confession by clasping his hands together in his lap and lowering his eyes to stare at them.

Initially taken aback by how long Ron's speech was, Hermione now saw that although he was the most stubborn person she had ever met and had trouble expressing his emotions; he had had feelings for her for as long as she had them for him. She put one of her hands on top of Ron's and kissed him lightly on the temple. "I'm right here Ron. Always."


End file.
